Electric brake.



PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908.

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WPbnessss:

No. 895,830. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908.

E. H. ANDERSON.

ELECTRIC BRAKE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1901.

3SEEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses: I Inventor.

[l/r zz/h Edward Hflnder'son No. 895,830. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908. E. H.ANDERSON.

ELECTRIC BRAKE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 23, 1901. v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Witnesses;

In Venb OT UNITED STATES rg rnn'r orrroa.

EDWARD H. ANDERSON, OF SOHENEOTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERALELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC BRAKE.

Specification of- Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11,1908.

Application filed July 28, 1901. Serial No. 69,417.

SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county ofSchenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Brakes, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to electric-railway brakes, and its object is tocause the brakechain of an ordinary brake-rigging to be wound up byelectric ower whenever the motorman turns the rake-handle in the usualmanner of putting on the brakes.

Many of the modern trolley-cars are ,35 or 40 feet long andcorrespondingly heavy. The work involved in stopping such a car by theordinary hand-brakes is very severe on the motorman. My invention aimsto replace hand brakes by providing the brakerig in with a smallelectric motor, contro le by the customary motion of the brake-handle,and operating to wind up the chain when the handle is revolved, thusrelieving the motorman of all work other than merely overcoming thefriction of the handle and its staff or spmdle.

The'preferred mode of carrying my invention into effect isshown in theaccompanying drawings, in which 0 Figure 1 is a sectional elevation ofmy improved brake-operating mechanism; Fig. 2

is a plan view on the line 22, Fig. 1; Fig. 3

is a plan view on theline 33, Fig. 1; Fi 4 is a diagram of the circuits;Fig. 5 is a iagram of a modification.

The brake-chain A is attached as usual to an upright rotatable stafi orspindle B extending up through the floor O at the end of .the car or thecar platform, and provided with a tubular portion B. rotatably sleevedor loosely mounted on the ortion B. To the upper end of the portion thehandleD is attached. A screw E passing through the tubular portion Binto a groove bin the staff B keeps the two. parts together. To thetubular portion B just above the floor C is secured the usualratchetwheel F engaged by the detent-pawl The portion B e'xtends belowthe floor, where one portion of the staff carries a dog G having a tail9 lyin between the lugsh on a notched sector I secured to the otherportion of the stall, there being sufficient space between the lugs togive a certain amount of play to the dog. From this construction it willbe seen that the customary revolution of the handle D -will carry thedog into contact with a lug on the sector and connect the two parts ofthe brake-staff. so that they rotate together in the usual manner. Butin order to relievethe motormanof the labor involved in thus applyingthe brakes by hand, I connect the brake-rigging with the armature of anelectric motor,- and locate a plurality of fieldcoils adjacent thereto,preferabl to be progressively energized y current from the trolley orother source of power, so as to setup a rotating field and cause thearmature to rotate and apply the brakes. The field coils are shown inthe accompanying drawings as connected to a commutator on which runs abrush carried by the tubular portion. B of the staff but it will beunderstood that other means may be employed 'whereby the motor iscontrolled from the operating handle.

The field-coils I are shown as t'welvein number, though any multiple ofthe armature-poles may be used. The twelve fieldcores K project inwardlyfrom an annular frame It concentric with the staff B and attached to thefloor G by hangers K. The fiat field-coils I each include three cores,each coil being ofiset twice-to enable succeeding coils to overlap. Thecoils are connected in multiple to a lead 1 from the trolley, a suitablepermanent' resistance L being included in the circuit to cut down thecurrent to the proper amount. The. other terminal of each coil isconnected with a segment m of a fixed commutator M supported concentricwith the stafi B, preferably by a ring .m resting on top of the frame7c. The twelve segments of thecommutator are connected by leads 3intothree groups of four each,- spaced at equal distances aroung thestall. Resting on the commutator is a brush N carried by, but insulated.from, the portionlB of the staff, and connected with the coils P on thearmatime P which is secured to the stafl B inside the field-cores. Thefour armature-coils are all in series and one terminal is groundedthrough'theshaft B. The armature is preferably mounted on the shaft orspindle B so that the said ,shaft extends on both sides of arranged Vsaid armature, the upper extending end carrying the brake handle and thelower extendp the commutator on which the brush rests,

passing through said brush and the arma ture-co ils to ground. The fourener ized field-coils produce two pairs of resu tant magnetic poleslying at right angles. The

l$.-pole pieces of the armature are magnetized similarly and at oncerotate enough to place themselves in correspondence with those of thefield. If the motorman now re- 1 vvolves'the handle D, carrying thebrush to 23 the next commutator-segment, the current is cut off from thefirst set of field-coils and en er izes the next set, thereby shiftingthe resu tant poles one-twelfth of .a revolution. The armature at onceturns to lace itself in 25 line with the new position of t e field-polesand this operation 1s repeated every time the brush moves on to a newsegment either in forward or backward direction of movement. It thus apears that the simple turning of the so handle l causes the resultantfield-poles to rotate, exerting a torque on the armature and therebywinding I up or releasing the brake-chain de ending upon the directionof rotation of the andle. The play of the dog between the lugs h issufficient to permit the brush to pass from one segment to anotherbefore the dog strikes the leadinglu so that provided the torqueproduced by t e motor is sufficiently great-this lug is always kept in40 advance of the do in either direction of rotation of the spind e, andthe work of the motorman is reduced to merely overcoming the 4 frictionof the tubular portion B of the stall.

. If the motor stops for any reason, such as fe lack of current, theslight backward move- "ment of the armature-brings the leading lughagainst the dog, and'the motorman can then continue the application ofthe brakes in the usual manner.

In the modificationshown inIFig. 5,onlyone motor is used, but twocommutators are provided, one for each brake-handle, and connected inmultiple, so that the operation of either handle will cause the armatureof the motor to rotate.

stafl" is omitted, the handle and brush being carried on thestaii B. Aswitch S 'is pro- Vided in each lead 6,, which connects each brush withone terminal of the armature- The operation of the preferredmodificaeeasso coils, the other terminal of said coils being groundedthrough the motor-shaft T. ;'By means of the switches S the rearcommutator canbe cut out, leaving the brake-motor .u with the lever Uwhich is connected by rods and chains a with the brake-staffs; An

additional brake-chain'V connects the lever U with the shaftof the motorT, which is laced under the body of the carnear said ever. The rotationof the brake-staff B not only sets the motor running to wind up thechain V, but it also winds up the slack of the chain it, so' that whenthe motor stops for 99 lack of current, the application of the brakes iscontinued by the further rotationof the brake-staff winding up thechainu.

While I have illustrated and described my invention as applied to abrake-rigging and 5 have hereinafter claimed it in combination with saidbrake-rigging, it will of course be understood that it is not so limitedin its application as it may be advantageously employed to controlv themovements of other power-operated shafts {or members, and I aim in theappended claims to cover all modifications of m invention which do notinvolve a departure from its s irit'and scope.

What I claim as new an desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is,

1. The combination with the brake-rigging of an electric railway car, ofan electric motor arranged to actuate said rigging, a commutatorfor saidmotor concentric with theflbrake-stafi, and a brush carried by said stai 2. The combination with'a brake-rigging, of an electricmotor arrangedto wind up the chain ofsaid rigging, means for causing said motor torotate by the turning of the brakehandle, and to keep slightly inadvance of said handle.

3. The combination with a brake-rigging, of an electric motor arrangedto wind up the chain of said rigging, means for causing said motor torotate by the turning of the brakehandle, andto keep slightly in dvanceof said handle, and means whereby s id handle can continue theapplication of the brake in case the motor stops.

4. The combination. with a rotatable member, of a motor having anarmature and a multipolar field-magnet concentric therewith. acommutator connected with the field- 13 0 connected in parallel, of acommutator-having a segment for each coil, independent leads connectingequidistant segments into groups, an armature concentric with saidfield-magnet, a brush making contact with one segment at a time and inseries with the arma.

ture, and means for moving the brush.

. 6. The combination with the brake-rigging'of an electric car, of abrake-staff and handle, a rotatable armature for actuating saidbrake-staff, and means controlled by the movement of said handle forproducing arotating field of force for exerting a torque on saidarmature, said field of force having an angular velocity correspondingto that of the brake-handle.

7. The combination with the brake-rigging of an electric car, of arotatable armature for actuating said rigging, and means whereby therevolution of the brake-handle produces a rotating field of force toexert a torque on said armature. i i I 8. The combination Withthebrake-rigging of an electric car, of a motor comprising an armatureconnected with said rigging, a multipolar field magnet .havingoverlapping coils, and meansfor energizing one or more pairs of oppositecoils in re ular progression.

9. The combination wit the brake-rigging of anelectric car, of a motorhaving an armature connected with said rigging, a multipolar fieldmagnet having overlapping coils, and means actuated by a brake-staffvfor energizing one or more pairs of opposite coils in regularprogression.

10. The combination-with the brake-rigging of an electric car, of amotor having an armature connected with said rigging, a mul tipolarfield-magnet having overlapping of?- set fiat coils each including morethan one pole-piece and connectedlin multiple, a commutator having asegment for each coil, and a brush on the brake-,stafi making contactwith said commutator.

11. In a brake-system, a brake-staff made in two relatively rotatableportions, and means for connecting said portions with a certain amountof lost motion,',whereby the handle may be moved a certain distance ineither direction without moving the brake staff, but a further movementof the handle will cause the stafi to move in a direction correspondingtothe direction of movement of the handle,

1.-Z. In a brake-system, a brake-staff comprising two portions, onesleeved on the other,

a notched sector on one portion, and a dog on the other portion engagingsaid sector,

whereby one portion of said brake stafl may be moved to a certain degreein either direction without moving the other portion of said vice andthe handle.-

staii, but a further movement hi the fiIstmentioned portion will causethe secondmentioned portion to move in a direction corresponding to thedirection of movement of the said first-mentioned portion.

13. In combination, a braking device, a rotary motor for actuatingsaiddevice, a brakehandle, and means separate from said handle butcontrolled thereby for causing the motor to rotate through an angulardistance corresponding to the movement of the handle.

14, In combination, a braking device, a rotary motor for actuatin saiddevice, a brake handle, means operate when said handle is moved forcontrolling the energization of said motor to cause it to rotate throughan angular distance corresponding to .the movement of the handle, and amechanical connnection between the said braking device and said handle.

15, In combination, a braking device, a rotary motor for actuating saiddevice, a brake-handle, means comprising a commutator connected withsaid motor and a brush operated by'said handle. for controlling theangular movement of said motor, and a mechanical connection between thebraking de- 16. In combination, a braking device, a motor for actuatingsaid device, a brake-handle, a brake-staff, a'lost motion deviceconnecting'said staii to said handle, means operated by said handle forcontrolling the movement of the motor," and a mechanical connectionbetween the braking device and the brake-staff.

17. III'OOIIlbiIlMHOIl, a braking device, a

motor for actuating said device,v a brakehandle, meansoperated by saidhandle for controlling themo vement of the motor, and a mechanicalconnection having a lost motion between the braking device and the brakehandle. p

18. The combination with a rotatable member, of an armature carried bysaid mem connected with the field coils, an operating handle, and abrush makin contact with the commutator and actuate by said handle,

whereby the "field coils are successivel connected in circuit to causesaid mern er to rotate.

19. The combination with a rotatable member, of an armature carried bysaid mem ber, a multipolar field magnet, a commutator connected with thefield coils, an operating handle, a brush making contact with thecommutator and actuated by said handle, whereby {the field coils aresuccessively connected in circuit to'cause said member to rotate, andindependent means whereb said .member may be rotated by said hand e.

20. In an apparatus of the character described, a power driven brakespindle, an electric motor for operating said spindle, and

" ber, a multipolar field magnet, a commutator &

" a handle mounted on said spindle and havin member, and means-operatedb said handle for controlling the operation 0 said' motor. 22. Thecombination with a rotatable member, of a motor connected to rotate saidmember, a handle loosely mounted on said member, means operated by saidhandle for controlling the operation of said motor, and means wherebysaid member may be mechanically 0 erated by said handle. i 23. scribed,a power driven brake spindle-,a men an apparatus of the character detorfor operating said. spindle, a loosehandle for said spindle, and meansfor controlling the said motor from said handle.

24.'In combination-a rotatable member, an electric motor arranged torotate said member, a handle mounted on said member and having a lostmotion connection therewith, a chain which is Wound around said memberas the latter is rotated, and means for controlling said motor from saidhandle.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of July,190 1.

'EDWARD H. ANDERSON.

